A Malta-flagged oil tanker travelling from India to South Africa was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and boarded by armed assailants near Somalia, maritime authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The vessel, Hellas Aphrodite, operated by Latsco Marine Management Inc., came under fire at around 11:48 a.m. local time on November 6 while carrying gasoline from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa. The assault took place about 550 nautical miles off Somalia’s coast, according to the company.
“The small craft fired small arms and RPGs toward the vessel,” the UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported. The 24-member crew immediately locked themselves in a secure citadel area. Latsco confirmed that all personnel are safe and accounted for and that emergency protocols have been activated in coordination with international maritime authorities.
The attack comes just days after another suspected pirate strike on the Stolt Sagaland, a Cayman Islands-flagged tanker, which was also fired upon southeast of Mogadishu. Its crew escaped unharmed.
Somali piracy, which peaked in 2011 with 237 attacks and an estimated US $7 billion global economic toll, had largely subsided in recent years but appears to be resurfacing. Maritime officials have urged vessels transiting the region to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.
Image credit: Chris Robert
Not unusual
Black market arms from Ukraine?
Oh, so not the US pirates of the Caribbean, this time?
Fatigue level: 98%⬆️